please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Closed
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Yes, it's well and truly closed.
I came across this place when freelancing in Canary Wharf. Proper old school. Ordered a pint and omelette and chips. Was asked for my name; which the barmaid shouted out when the food was ready some 15 minutes later.
Went there again about a week later and the barmaid greeted me by name and remembered the drink I'd had last time.
The chances of that happening at any of the bland lager chains in Canary Wharf were, and still are, pretty close to zero.
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I visited this pub quite regularly when I worked in Canary Wharf in 2007 / 2008 .Good friendly staff , good beer , good food and a pleasant change from the plastic pubs / bars in the main Wharf area
I returned to Canary Wharf at the start of this year and have been a few times - same as it ever was.
As anyone has been there recently will know the whole area around the pub has been knocked down for redevelopment . As far as I understand it the pub will be closing down this Friday ( 23 May 2014 ) and will not be reopening - assume it is being demolished but I couldn't verify this. :( :(
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Closed?
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It was alive, kicking and open last Friday when I was in there. An oasis form the corporate blandness of Canary Wharf
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Sadly now closed with Freehold for sale..talk that it is to be demolished to be incorporated into the building work taking place..another bit of East London History being erased.
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Cosy little pub laying back from Marsh Wall.
5 pumps on the bar, 2 were on with Sharp's Doom Bar and Timothy Taylor Landlord.
Good Doom Bar, though the glasses could do with a proper wash and not just run through the dishwasher. I had 3 rounds when I was here and strange that there was a different price charged for each round!
Friendly local pub not what you expect in the Docklands area, very refreshing.
An outsider was made very welcome, cracking little pub away from the Madness of Canary Wharf
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Traditional locals pub in a backstreet, but not far from the financial district that is Canary Wharf. I tried visiting here when in the area a couple of months ago. But the pub is only open on weekdays. I paid a return visit last night on my way home from the Olympic Park. The pub is fairly small, but has nice wood panelling and a very friendly barmaid. The clientele were a mixture of locals and City types. But all seemed pretty down to earth. Pride, Doom Bar & Landlord were the 3 beers. My London Pride went down quite well.
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Small, friendly traditional East End pub (one of the very few left) amazingly undamaged by its proximity to Canary Wharf. Beer (London Pride was the one of the three on offer that I tried) in excellent condition. Old fashioned decor, beautifully clean. Run by a land lord you can have an intelligent conversation with. Superb.
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A wonderful place to avoid the normal clientele found on the Wharf. Slightly rough around the edges is a massive understatement but it does a decent pint, simple food and has a pool table. Never seen it busy and very rarely seen someone in a suit in there...as such I receommend it heartily.
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Nice back street pub, friendly landlord and good service. Old fashioned decor, but that is fine with me. Beer in excellent condition on the day of my visit. The only real pub in the area as far as I could make out.
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As I've grown older, grown more used to the simple comforts of a happy home life, stopped chasing skirt, and my cheekbones have receded behind an extra layer of adipose tissue, I have come to appreciate this pub a great deal more than I used to.
I've heard remarks about the unreliability of the beer supply before - so there is probably something to this. But they sure as heck know how to look after the ale here, and how to serve it. The selection is rarely too weirdy-beardy-exotic-microbrewed, but its always good gear - Hobgoblin and Landlord on last night, I'm not a huge fan of the latter, but it was in good nick here.
This is a bit like taking a step back into the 1960s, and its all the better for it. Due to this, and to its location, it attracts people from the more human end of the Canary Wharf/IoD spectrum, and I've always found the ambience nice and comforting - even if it does lack many of the things most folk take for granted in 21st century boozers.
Cherish it.
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Oh dear. This pub is a potential oasis in the desolate lands of the wharf. It appears it normally has three real ales on tap. However, the wharf is a quiet place at weekends and the landlord must make a living. If you visit this pub shortly after 5 pm on a Friday evening, as we did, you risk finding that all the ales have run dry and all that's left until Monday is lager and some liquid concoction produced by John Smith.
Consequently I can't give this pub a high rating at present as a visit is speculative. However, I hope people give it a try and get luckier than us. Or you could visit it earlier in the week!
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Went in and was fairly full. Seemed to be ignored by the barman which did not impress me or the people I was with. Went down the road to a smaller pub, much better.
Won't visit here again.
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Nice place with friendly staff and good old fashioned pub grub. Pool Table upstairs an added bonus
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Having to work in the hell that is CW, I have finally found the only remnant of civilisation for miles around. The 'Black sheep' was in excellent condition. I'll be regaining my sanity as often as possible there.
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Had a pint in here, quiet atmosphere, not much going on. I agree its got a lot of character but that's about it.
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A great little pub. A refreshing change from the mass of corporate chain pubs around Canary Wharf. They are dropping like flies at present but long live the North Pole!
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Hidden Gem , always serves decent real ale - a survivor from the days when the Docks around were thriving
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A must-visit, because it's a realy good pace for a drink as much as because it's a survivor of the East End pub tradition, with customers of virtually all types. Very good London Pride in a simpe beer range. Great views from the pub.
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There's a certain message coming through in these reviews - and mine's no different.
The North Pole is a nice unpretentious corner pub within spitting distance of the soulless and charmless drinking environment that is Canary Wharf - where the usual suspects ( ABO, Slug and Lettuce etc dominate )
Despite being in close proximity to the Britannia Hotel in Marsh Wall ( its just down a flight of steps to the road below ), the North Pole has thankfully managed to remain undiscovered by the "suits" brigade.
People of my age group have a certain nostalgic fondness for pubs like this - comfortable leather-covered seats, decent carpet, some wood pannelling, authentic old-school London guvnor etc... . Note also the old Mann, Crossmann and Paulin windows at the front.
For the real ale drinker, there's London Pride plus Timmy Taylors, both of which were on good form last night - and reasonably priced.
Lets hope this pub is around for years to come.
Recommended for the discerning drinker.
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An amazing find amid the concrete and glass of canary wharf - a proper pub with friendly staff! long may it prosper...
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A true oasis.
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Agree with everyone else's comments here. So good to find a normal, unpretentious pub just far enough off the beaten track to avoid most Canary Wharfers. Great pint of Pride too.
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Friendly staff, well kept ale (now including Landlord), delicious & fairly priced food, unpretentious atmosphere... combine to make this one of the best pubs in London, nevermind Canary Wharf (where it has no rival).
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Was working in Canary Wharf at the beginning of the year and found this wonderful getaway from all the office blocks and chain bars that surround them. A proper pub, family run, good value food and great London Pride. Dont bother with the bars on the boardwalk - head straight for the North Pole!
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Used to use this place a lot when I worked near South Quay. Absolutely blinding little boozer, off the beaten track so doesn't attract the main stream office crowd but has a much more mixed customer base. As for that till, well it must have been the inspiration for the one in Open All Hours is all I can say !
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After discovering this delightful little boozer earlier this year it has become a regular post-work haunt for me and a select handful of friends and colleagues who appreciate a decent pub. I've always loved the "period features" (the cash register, draw-operated cigarette machine, dumb waiter etc...) and the recent addition of Old Speckled Hen and Tim Taylor's Landlord to the selection of ales provide a pleasant Oasis in a desert of Trendy Wine Bars
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Great east end boozer - where else near CW can u get sausage, egg & chips for �2.80? Great pint of Pride, canny bar staff - after over a year in CW this has to be my favourite pub. Even better now the smoking ban's come in :)
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What a cracking find. A group of us in the area on business staying in the nearby Brittannia Hotel and needing a pub with real ale (London Pride) and not overpriced. This place hit the spot, friendly full of character and only 2 mins from the hotel, simply leave hotel, go down the steps opposite, turn left and you're there. I have a reason to do more business in London.
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Was a decent pub. Prefered the Anchor & Hope on Westferry Rd though.
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First visited today. Excellent 'local'. Spot on London Pride, excellent service and a mixed clientelle which gave the place a real atmosphere (a few suits, a few locals, a few construction workers and a few council workers). A real gem and yes the old till is priceless!
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Having seen the previous reviews I had to go and see for myself whether there really is a decent pub in what I always considered to be the wasteland of Canary Wharf. The North Pole is exactly as described - a simple, decent pub. It consists of one room with a horseshoe bar; just one ale on - London Pride - which tasted just fine. Red plastic seat covers (don't see them very often these days), plain wooden tables, and a friendly barman (probably John?)make it what I want - a decent, no frills pub. Very quiet when I was in, just before it closed for the afternoon at 3.30.
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The only honest pub in the Wharf. Friendly John the landlord will sell you beer and provide a comfortable environment in which to drink it. There's no loud music. You can find a seat. The beer is well-priced. You can chat without shouting. A classic.
PS: Their cash register looks like a Babbage original - cash only here.
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Have been in this place a good dozen times, as I have the misfortune to work on the Wharf. An excellent local pub, which will one day, sadly be swallowed up by the remorseless march of steel/chrome, as the Wharf expands. Don't be put off by the lowly rating. Whoever put this down as 5/10 either knows nothing about pubs (doesn't rule out many of the local workforce!)or is bearing a grudge. Only negative is that it can get very smoky at times-aside from that, if you're on the Wharf it deserves your support. What will be left when its gone?- Bar 38, Via Fossa et al.
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A nice traditional East End boozer in the back streets of an area which has become glitzy and somewhat soulless. A nice respite from the braying wharfers and characterless chain bars. Friendly, and with very cheap food.
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A welcome escape from the "Wharfers" and a very friendly one at that.
A good pint all round and a till soooo old it's worth a visit just to hear it ping and clunck through it's charming (if a little dated) surroundings.
A healthy mix of punters from the odd office worker to locals and the occasional student clan.
Whoever has settled in for the evening I have never found it intimidating to those who wonder in for the first time.
A lovely pub.
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I love this pub. It is a lovely little escape with friendly staff, reasonably priced drinks and the Cheg burgers (cheese burger with a fried egg - for those that don't know)are awesome. The trick is to not lose any of the yolk! :o) It's away from the main road and you can sit comfortably outside or in. A good pub in my opinion.
xx
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As a diversion from all the politics below, this really is quite a find; an oasis in a desert of pretentious crap. Beer range is pretty standard, food (lunchtimes only) is half the price you would pay elsewhere and the atmosphere is smoky but very friendly.
Beware however, this pub doesn't fit into the makrketing man's idea of how we should spend our leisure time; 'they' will be looking for any excuse to sell it off for development. You have been warned.
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Have lived in the area for 9 months now and this was the final pub that I wanted to visit on my list.
It is very small, often overcrowded. Good range of lagers but the bitters are non existent.
Tv is very small so why have it at all? and the price of pool is very dear. Food was ok but only served during the days. Nowhere to sit outside on a hot day.
Not the worst pub in the area but by far not the best.
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Not the best of pubs. very small, limited beer, toilets are filthy.
Also gets packed with local workers who just talk shop all the time. The only good thing about this pub apart from the old till is the comical landlord who cannot ever pour the right beer!
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Really good honest local pub. Thank god it's a bit out of the way and requiring a 5 minute walk from offices which seems to be beyond the athletic ability of most of the suits
dodgy - 17 Apr 2006 22:33 |
Brilliant authentic east-end boozer. Friendly people serving well-kept, reasonably-priced (for London) ale. It's the only place worth going in about a 3 mile radius... except don't, cos my only reservation is how hard it is to get a seat for lunch at Friday lunchtime... Still, this place deserves to succeed.
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Having worked in the area for the last 3 years I finally made a visit to the North Pole, I can honestly say this pub is a gem! The decor is superb, the staff were very good and the beer was well looked after. If you are in the Canary Wharf area and like me dont think much of the All Bar One kind of establishment the North Pole is a must.
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Not many pubs left like it in London. Great beer, no fuss, you could be in your own lounge. Lunch is basic but excellent value, no food in the evenings but they do have the best pork scratchings in East London! An interesting crowd frequent, from Gandalph the Grey to Frank Butcher can be seen having a drink.
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Within walking distance of Canary Wharf, this is a breathe of fresh air from the chain bars that are in that area. The beer is reasonable, they do bar snacks and you canm sit outside in summer. Best of all, it seems to be pretty free of "suits" and relatively cheap. Worth a try for sure.
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